A Cloud in the Clear Blue Sky!نموونە

DAY 1

Three years of nothing - no rain, no dew, and everything was dying.

I want to start by painting a picture to help you imagine what Elijah saw and experienced during this time.

Elijah was a prophet. A prophet is someone who publicly declares a message from God. At that time, prophets were also called seers who would foretell future events. People would go to them for insight into what is to come.

Ahab became king and was evil in the Lord’s eyes. He was married to Jezebel who introduced Baal to the people and they began worshiping this false god. When the Bible has Elijah showing up on the scene (in 1 Kings 17:1), Elijah told Ahab it would not rain, or even have dew on the ground, until his command.

The prophets of God were in hiding due to rampant evil. And because Elijah declared there would be no rain or dew, the people experienced no rain or dew. The land and crops started dying, streams dried up, and people ran out of the last bits of food and supplies.

Now we are fast-forwarding three years to when God tells Elijah to show up on the scene again. Elijah proposes a test to determine who is the “real” God. Would it be Baal or the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? They had a little challenge between the 450 prophets of Baal versus Elijah. Long story short, God was victorious, fire fell from heaven and consumed Elijah's altar, and the people declared Yahweh is God.

Cue where we are picking up in the story in 1 Kings 18:41-47:

And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground, and put his face between his knees. “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Over the next five days, we will dig into these seven verses, but today we will only look at verse 41.

1 Kings 18:41, "And Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.'"

What rain??

If you remember, when Elijah showed up (1 Kings 17:1), he said, "It would not rain again until I command it." Three years passed after Elijah declared those words.

Can you imagine what Ahab was thinking?

Part of me imagines that Ahah thought Elijah was out of his mind.

Where is the “sound of heavy rain” coming from?

I also think he just experienced a move of God with fire falling from the sky. So, maybe Ahab thought whatever Elijah declared would happen.

I want to glance back to the moment before Elijah said, “There is a sound of heavy rain.” In 1 Kings 18:39, “When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

Yahweh means “to be” or translated as “Lord” or “Master.” It was after the people fell prostrate and declared “Yahweh is God” that it was time for heavy rain.

They came to a place of total surrender. They came to a place of complete focus flip from all distractions to their God.

Today, I want us to end by pausing and considering six questions.

1. Have you truly surrendered your circumstances to God?
2. Do you believe He is Lord and Master over your life and circumstances?
3. Do your actions show you believe He is Lord and Master over your life and circumstances?
4. Have you stopped trying to create your timelines, make up your predictions, or tell God what will make you happy or what you think is best for yourself?
5. Could there be a reason why God is waiting - something to learn, a form of protection, etc?
6. Do you remember what heavy rain sounds like? (meaning, can you remember other miracles in your life? Other moments when God showed up for you. God's faithfulness in your life.)

Thank You for Reading. Until Tomorrow.